1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of video communication and, more particularly, to providing an efficient and easy way of controlling video communication.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
As the geographical domain in which companies conduct business continues to expand, video conferencing technology attempts to bring the world closer together. However, as with most user-based technologies, the user interface for controlling the conference does not provide a convenient way to handle all the options and capabilities of the conferencing equipment. When video conferencing is operated between endpoints that cannot communicate directly, (e.g., because they use different networks and standards), the endpoints must use a means for transcoding the data, such as a Media Gateway (MGW), to connect them together.
An endpoint is a terminal on a network capable of providing real-time one way or two way audio and/or visual communication with other terminals or with a control unit. When more than two endpoints participate in a conference, a Multipoint Communication Unit (MCU) is used to connect all the endpoints together.
Controlling video communications may be complicated by options to change the layout, add or subtract participants, and request statistical information, for example. Common control systems of video communications use external communication paths such as a phone call to a human operator, web controlling with a web browser at the user's site, and a web server that connects to the MCU, the MGW, or an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) unit. The IVR unit provides vocal messaging to the user and receives the user's response by using Dual Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) by, for example, a touch-tone telephone. None of the current video communication control systems provides a method or a system that enables the user to control the video communication, via a terminal (e.g., an endpoint) of the video communication. Moreover, none of the current video communication control systems provides visual information that can be viewed on the user's video display. Although possibly not recognized by the prior art, a visual display that presents various control options and features that are enabled by the MCU or the MGW and are selectable by the user may improve the ease of use and the user friendliness of the system. Similarly, the prior art may not recognize that a visual display that displays the results of the user's request may improve the ease of use.
Therefore, there is a need for a system or a method that enables control of the communication via an endpoint, such as a terminal, and/or displays control information of a video communication on the user's video monitor at the endpoint.